Ruairi Quinn has reversed his decision to slash the special needs budget by 10%.

The Education Minister confirmed he has done a U-turn this afternoon after severe pressure from parents and furious backbenchers.

The Cabinet has agreed to release 500 additional teaching posts to schools in September to cope with the rise in the number of children needing support.

The minister warned the "one-off" measure will have budgetary implications for his department in October.

Mr Quinn, who has ordered a review of the allocation of resource teachers, said the level of additional supports to students from September will remain at the 2012/13 levels.

"This is a good day for special education, an area that I have passionately defended since coming into office," he said.

"I have succeeded in protecting the €1.3 billion currently spent in this area."

The Government came under fire last week for announcing savage education cuts that would hit the country's most vulnerable children while the State continues to bail out bankers and developers.

But officials maintained a record number of pupils applying for extra support and special educational needs left them with no choice but to slash resource hours in schools nationwide.

More than 42,500 students need additional teaching support from September, compared with 38,400 pupils last year. The figures includes 22,000 pupils, up 2,000, who will be supported by 10,575 special needs assistants.

The 500 posts had been set aside to meet the demand expected to arise over the remainder of the next school year as new pupils are assessed.

Labour TD Patrick Nulty last week resigned from the party over its political decisions in government, including cutting resource hours to children with special needs.

Earlier Fianna Fail claimed the crippling cuts to special needs education would hit every school in the country this September.

Before Minister Quinn's announcement education spokesman Charlie McConalogue urged all backbenchers do the right thing and support his private members motion to be debated in the Dail tonight.